College Hotline - Pac-12 football power ratings: Playoff implications as Texas visits Cal

From the bevy of intriguing games this week, one stands out for its potential impact on the big picture … the playoff picture: Texas at Cal.

Let’s take a few paragraphs to game this out, all while acknowledging 1) the early point in the season, 2) the myriad permutations that could unfold and 3) the hypothetical nature of the following discussion:

* If we assume the Pac-12 champion is not undefeated …

* And if we assume Alabama wins the SEC with fewer than two losses …

* And if we assume Florida State/Clemson wins the ACC with fewer than two losses …

* And if we assume Michigan State/Ohio State wins the Big Ten with fewer than two losses …

Then the Pac-12 champion could very well be competing with the Big 12 champion for the final playoff berth.

(Notre Dame and/or Houston might be involved, as well, but that’s for another time.)

Through two weeks, it’s not unreasonable to think Texas could be that Big 12 champion. Oklahoma, TCU, Oklahoma State — they all have a loss and look vulnerable to varying degrees.

The 11th-ranked Longhorns, meanwhile, have been surprisingly impressive in outlasting Notre Dame and mauling UTEP.

Charlie Strong’s rebuilding project has gained speed, he has a quarterback, he has bulked up the lines of scrimmage — he has the Longhorns playing like you’d expect the Longhorns to play given their tradition, resources and recruiting base.

And here they are in Week Three, making a rare west coast visit and playing their final non-conference game.

Seems like a prime opportunity for the Pac-12 to hand the Longhorns a loss that could loom large with the selection committee two months from now.

Potentially, it would carry more weight than a typical loss: It would be a head-to-head loss to a member of the conference Texas is competing with for a playoff berth … perhaps the final playoff berth.

Again, it’s so early and so much can happen — not only the known unknowns but also the unknown unknowns — that I was a tad hesitant to address the issue.

But playoff talk never gets old, no matter how early, and the Hotline is a sucker for postseason hypotheticals.

The eyes of the Pac-12, it seems, should be on Berkeley.

To the ratings …

1. Washington (2-0)Last week: 1
Result: Beat Idaho 59-14
Next up: vs. Portland State
Comment: More cupcakes for the Huskies. They had better not get fat and happy with conference play beginning next week.

2. Stanford (1-0)
Last week: 2
Result: Bye
Next up: vs. USC
Comment: Here comes the gauntlet: USC, UCLA, Washington, Washington State and Notre Dame. Win four of the five, and the Cardinal will be set up for a playoff drive.

3. UCLA (1-1)
Last week: 3
Result: Beat UNLV 42-21
Next up: at Brigham Young
Comment: How Josh Rosen and Co. fare against BYU’s stout defense will give us a feel for their prospects against Stanford next week.

4. Utah (2-0)
Last week: 6
Result: Beat Brigham Young 20-19
Next up: at San Jose State
Comment: Last week: Holy war … Next week: USC … This week: The trap games of all trap games.

5. Oregon (2-0)
Last week: 4
Result: Beat Virginia 44-26
Next up: at Nebraska
Comment: Did not include Oregon-Nebraska in playoff discussion above because there’s no chance Cornhuskers are involved. But a road win on Big Ten turf wouldn’t hurt the Pac-12’s case.

6. Colorado (2-0)
Last week: 5
Result: beat Idaho State 56-7
Next up: at Michigan
Comment: Did not include Colorado-Michigan in playoff discussion above because there’s no chance Buffs win. Key is to avoid a spate of injuries that could hurt their chances for success in conference play.

7. Arizona State (2-0)
Last week: 8
Result: Beat Texas Tech 68-55
Next up: at UTSA (Friday)
Comment: Roadie on a short week against off-radar foe after scoring 68 points? Feels a tad perilous for the Sun Devils.

8. USC (1-1)
Last week: 12
Result: Beat Utah State 45-7
Next up: at Stanford
Comment: If Trojans believe they’re back … that all is good and Alabama was an aberration … they’re headed right back from whence they came.

9. Cal (1-1)
Last week: 7
Result: Lost at San Diego State 45-40
Next up: vs. Texas
Comment: In case you had forgotten, the Bears won by one point in Austin last year. One team has improved monumentally since then, and it’s not the Bears.

10. Washington State (0-2)
Last week: 10
Result: Lost at Boise State 31-28
Next up: vs. Idaho
Comment: No reason to panic, but that time could be just a few weeks away.

* Episode 1 of the College Hotline podcast, with ESPN’s Ted Miller as guest (we discussed Washington’s rise, UCLA’s transformation to power football, USC’s issues, Utah’s life in the shadows, the Pac-12’s position in the playoff race and loads more):